MPs have rejected Labour’s motion to allocate Commons time to consider banning fracking, in a vote initially designated by the Tory whips as a “confidence motion” in Liz Truss’s Government. Labour’s motion was defeated by 230 votes to 326, majority 96.
Conservative whips initially stated the vote on whether to allocate Commons time to consider legislation to stop shale gas extraction was being treated as a “confidence motion” in Liz Truss’s embattled Government. Conservative deputy chief whip Craig Whittaker had warned his MPs that Wednesday's vote was a “100% hard” three-line whip.
However - coming after a number of Tory MPs indicated they were prepared to lose the whip rather than vote in favour of fracking - climate minister Graham Stuart later insisted Labour’s motion “is not a confidence vote”. He accused Labour of trying to “seize” the order paper and added: “Quite clearly this is not a confidence vote.”
When Conservative MP Ruth Edwards (Rushcliffe) asked to clarify if those Tories who abstain or vote against the motion will lose the party whip, Mr Stuart added: “That is a matter for party managers, and I am not a party manager.”
The Commons then heard there were “very strong rumours” the Government chief whip Wendy Morton had resigned. Allegations of bullying were also levelled against Government whips, with Labour former minister Chris Bryant saying some MPs had been “physically manhandled into another lobby and being bullied”.
Earlier, Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg sought to limit the rebellion by insisting communities will have a “veto” on fracking in their area. He said national government would be unable to overrule the objections from communities, with one option under consideration involving local referendums for areas where fracking is proposed.
Mr Rees-Mogg, in a message directed at Conservative MPs, told the Commons: “There’s an absolute local consent lock. Any process to determine local consent must be run independently and this House will vote on any scheme that we bring forward.”
The division list showed 40 Conservative MPs did not take part in the fracking vote. They cannot all be considered to be abstentions, with some likely to have been on Government business.
Those known to be abstaining include Chris Skidmore and Angela Richardson.
